Leadership Development

A Response to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic Among YBMSM

African Americans have been hit hard by the HIV epidemic particularly young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM). The traumas Gay and Same gender Loving men experience over the course of their lives along with the absence of a positive rites of passage, and the loss of a generation of Black gay men in the 80’s and 90’s due to AIDS has decrease protective factors against HIV/AIDS risk. In addition heterosexism, sexual abuse, and a lack of family support have all contributed to the trauma YBMSM experience throughout their lives.

Leadership development is critical to lives of gay Black men. With all of the disparities facing this community i.e. incarceration, substance use, health issues, poverty, race and stigma makes it even more important that organizations working with this population come together to reformulate and enact and emergency plan that allows leadership development to be prioritized. The Community Consultation on Leadership Development is one of many steps toward a direction that strives to treat HIV transmission among YBMSM as a symptom of a larger issue. The CCS pulls together community resources to evaluate the challenges to effective leadership development within prevention services for YBMSM.

The links below are a compilation of resources used during the Leadership Development Community Consultation Series on Monday September 27th 2010.